Letter To The Editor: From A Young Fan

My first race was two years ago. The 2021 Haskell Invitational S., the summer before my senior year of college. It was the post parade that hooked me.

When “Born to Run” sounded through the grandstand as Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie and Midnight Bourbon bounced onto the track, it didn't matter how the race would go. I was in. It was enough to latch onto despite the outrage I felt towards my home-state regulators for an ill-advised whip rule that took down Midnight Bourbon, along with my exacta box.

But though he fell, everyone came home safe that day.

I turned into a racing evangelist, with Hot Rod Charlie at the center of my devotion. I brought my friends along to his revenge tour at the Pennsylvania Derby, where he finally triumphed over Midnight Bourbon. We gutted out another inquiry, after which, I wildly bear-hugged a friend. We'd finally hit that exacta.

I loved racing. My dorm room was littered with Daily Racing Forms. I missed dinner to watch the Breeders' Cup Classic. Ducked into empty classrooms to watch Derby preps at Oaklawn. I drove three hours round-trip to Aqueduct at 8 a.m. on a Saturday to bet the Dubai World Cup because they didn't offer the superfecta on 4NJBETS.

After college I kept it up. In March of this year, I went with my girlfriend–one of our first dates had been at the 2022 Haskell–to Kentucky for the first time. We stayed in Midway, there for “Road to the Horse” at the Kentucky Horse Park. I left in the middle, hiked over to see Funny Cide and Silver Charm in their stalls. One afternoon we walked around Keeneland. Circled the paddock, went beneath the stand and onto the track. It felt like walking on hallowed ground. A few months before, we'd been brought to tears by Cody's Wish's win in the Dirt Mile and dazzled by Flightline's romp in the Classic.

So you know how I felt when I saw Maple Leaf Mel, the undefeated New York-bred, bounding away from a Grade I field as the camera zoomed in on her. She went fast early–44 and two for the half mile–and she went fast late, with a gutsy performance by turning away her classiest opponents yet. She was “six-for-six.” That's the line etched in my mind. It's the last thing I remember hearing from track announcer Frank Mirahmadi before she went down.

It felt like a gut-punch–it was the first time I understood what that word meant. I couldn't think for a few minutes. I couldn't talk. I couldn't watch Cody's Wish run afterwards.

I avoided watching Saratoga after that. But this past weekend I turned on the FOX broadcast for the first time since. It had been three weeks, I reasoned. Enough time to reset my mind. Anyways, my favorite active horse, Arcangelo, was running in the Travers, and I felt sure he'd win. What kind of sport would this be if I couldn't watch it live?

So I turned on the broadcast shortly after 3 p.m. I watched Gunite, under a great ride from Tyler Gaffalione, take down Elite Power along with his eight-race win streak. I saw that the next race was an allowance, turned the broadcast off, went back to my book. But I was back for the Jerkens. I saw the Baffert runners in the paddock, saw Jimmy Barnes sweating bullets. Saw New York Thunder looking flat, his coat dull. I pulled up the replay of his last race. Saw him blaze to victory without changing leads.

It was the post parade now. I kept watching, live on FOX. I even almost made a bet on Verifying, he was looking so muscled-up before the race.

When they burst from the starting gate, I watched New York Thunder stride out on top. He led the way through the far turn. The Baffert runners dropped back, New York Thunder having run them off their feet, each stride pounding the dirt and carrying him away from them. But then I heard Frank Mirahmadi call out the fraction of 44 and two in this $500,000 seven-furlong Grade I sprint for three-year-olds. A punishing half-mile. I shut my laptop. My nerves couldn't take it.

A minute went by. I reopened the laptop, fired up FOX. I hoped they'd come home safe. But then I saw the wide-angle camera shot, saw that the five horse wasn't in the drop-down of the top four finishers. I heard the empty unsteadiness of the commentators. I shut my laptop again, leaned back in my seat, looked blankly out the window.

I watched the Travers that evening, only after I'd known Arcangelo had won and had come back in good shape. I couldn't enjoy it, even after he sailed past the wire. When he seemed to take a bad step in the gallop-out I held my breath, despite having read that he was fine. I wanted to look away the whole time.

That's my favorite horse winning the Midsummer Derby.

I'm drawn to racing, in part, for the history. Today I watched a replay of the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Thirty-five years ago. Personal Ensign running down Winning Colors under the Churchill Downs wire. A hard-won performance from an undefeated champion. It should have been rousing. Instead during the stretch drive, I felt nothing but worry that she might fall.

That's what I see when I watch racing now.

Horse racing fan Isaac Hart lives in Glen Rock, New Jersey.

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Smiles Abound on Saratoga’s Opening Day

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Smiles, hugs and handshakes–especially the smiles–were the currency Thursday for opening day, the annual lovefest at Saratoga Race Course.

While the New York Racing Association (NYRA) served up 10 races on the first of the 40 days of the 155th season at the Spa, the crowd of 29,102 celebrated the past, greeting old friends, as well as the present at the historic track. With a line of thunderstorms approaching from the west on a hot, humid and windy afternoon, NYRA sped up post times and was able to complete the program before the heavy rain arrived.

In a perfectly Saratoga performance at the track that was dubbed the “Graveyard of Favorites” 90 years ago, the first-time starter Becky's Joker (Practical Joke) won the 105th running of the GIII Schuylerville Stakes at 21-1. The big bay filly won by 3 1/4 lengths under Hall of Famer Javier Castellano.

Gary Contessa had trained a public stable on the NYRA circuit for decades, but was absent–except for a single start in 2021–from Saratoga for three seasons because of COVID-19 in 2020 and while working as a private trainer in Delaware. His small stable has been based at Saratoga since May and Becky's Joker delivered him his first victory of 2023. It was a memorable comeback for Contessa, who has been training since 1985. Contessa said he told owner Lee Pokoik that Becky's Joker would definitely win a maiden special weight race and probably would win the stake, and Pokoik opted for the Schuylerville with its $175,000 purse and black type.

Larry Sigler, who operates as Winning Move Stable, smiled and nodded when it was pointed out that for the moment he was the leading owner at Saratoga when his Linda Rice-trained Bustin Bay (Bustin Stones) won the first race of the day under Jose Ortiz.

“I actually never concepted that thought,” Sigler said. “You revel in the win. They're rare up here. They're incredibly special and so you don't really reflect on it, on anything. You just enjoy that moment, especially to be able to share it with my wife and my grandson. That's what makes the moment more special.”

Sigler has raced as Winning Move since 2005, has been part of many partnerships and knows his way to the winner's circle at America's oldest race track.

“There's nothing like Saratoga,” he said. “I'm not the first one to tell you that. I'm echoing what hundreds of people have told you. There's just something special here. If we invite friends of ours to spend a weekend with us, when that weekend's over, they get it. They understand what a great racing experience is. It's the heritage, the tradition. The best trainers. The best jockeys. The best racing. That combination makes everything so special.”

First race of the meet | Sarah Andrew

Apprentice jockey Jason Huayas was no stranger to Saratoga when he rode Honey Money (Central Banker) in the first race. Huayas, 30, said he worked as a groom for Ralph Nicks at Saratoga in 2015 and later was an exercise rider for Robert Ribaudo. He started his apprenticeship in 2022, is based at Monmouth Park and had a pair of mounts on Thursday.

“I never imagined to ride here,” he said.

Huayas was thankful for the mounts, both of which finished off the board.

“It's the best place to be,” he said. “You get to ride with the top dogs in the world. And hopefully I can learn from that and get more opportunities.”

New track announcer Frank Mirahmadi said he first visited Saratoga in 1997 when he was the announcer at the Great Barrington Fair, part of the Massachusetts fair circuit. He called a total of five days at Saratoga as a fill-in during the past three summers. As the horses left the for the first race he led the crowd through what has become a Saratoga tradition: “….and they're off at Saratoga.”

“It's been an incredible adrenaline rush,” he said. “Thankfully, I'm still rolling. It's been a long day. I was here early this morning talking to a lot of news stations and just sharing the passion that everyone has for Saratoga Race Course.”

Trainer Chad Brown, who is bidding for his third-straight Saratoga title, has a perfect understanding of what the start of the Saratoga season is all about. He grew up in Mechanicville, about 17 miles from the front gate of the track.

“On opening day we were in the picnic area every year,” he said, “so I really fell in love with horse racing and that's why I chose this career path.”

Brown noted that opening days at Keeneland and Del Mar are fun, too, but that Saratoga is distinctive.

“It's very special. It's very unique,” he said. “I think the vast picnic area here makes this track and the history associated with the track makes it in a group of its own. I've said before, one of the most special things about this meet and about Saratoga, really, for the fans is not only getting up close with some of the greatest horsemen and jockeys in the world, is using this facility as a meeting place for friends and family where you have your annual checkup on each other. Your annual time spent together. That's what's most important about Saratoga, I can tell you that having grown up in the community.

“If there is anything that may have changed over the years with racing schedules, some added features, like the 1863 Club, the one thing that's never changed is that this is a meeting place. In the picnic area in particular, people have their same trees, their same spots, their same routine of where they stay and that is the most special thing about it.”

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Godolphin Announces 2022 TIEA Award Winners

The Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards concluded this afternoon during an awards ceremony at Keeneland Racecourse's Sales Pavilion. Winners were announced in a total of seven categories with a total of $122,000 awarded. Frank Mirahmadi, track announcer at Santa Anita and Saratoga Racecourse, served as the master of ceremonies. The full list of winners and runners-up is as follows:

Newcomer Award, sponsored by NYRA
Winner: Johnathan Estrada, Groom, David Donk
(Runners-up: Charles Churchill, Ed Brown Society and 1/ST Racing Intern, Stronach Group; Maddie Rowland, Apprentice Jockey Monmouth Park, Elizabeth Merryman nominator)

Support Services Award, sponsored by I Am Horse Racing
Winner: Laura Scheer, Crossing Guard, New York Racing Association
(Runners-up: Tim Tullock, Jr., Compliance Officer, Maryland Jockey Club; Walter Johnson, Travel Agent, Protravel International)

Katherine McKee Administration Award sponsored by Keeneland
Winner: Darla Shoemaker Gaige, Office Administration, Charles Town HBPA
(Runners-up: Angela Ramsey, Finance Manager and Human Resources, Sequel Holdings; Blair Eads, Production and Marketing Manager, Equix)

Dedication to Breeding Award sponsored by Hallway Feeds
Winner: Don Jenkins, Groom, Darby Dan Farm
(Runners-up: Danny Mitchell, Foaling Manager, Denali Stud; Steve Holbrook, Assistant Manager, Coolmore America)

Dedication to Racing Award, sponsored by the NTRA
Winner: Felipe Pulido Mendoza, Groom, Richard Mandella Racing
(Runners-up: Alice Clapham, Assistant Trainer, Graham Motion Racing; Danny Ramsey, Exercise Rider, McPeek Racing Stables)

Leadership Award, sponsored by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute
Winner: Leanna Willaford, Assistant Trainer, Bill Mott
(Runners-up: Anne Eberhardt-Keogh, Visuals Director, BloodHorse Publications; Matthew Zehnder, Equine Resources Coordinator, University of Kentucky Maine Chance Farm)

Dr. J. David “Doc” Richardson Community Award, sponsored by Churchill Downs
Winner: Jessica Hammond, Benevolence and Counseling Director & Program Administrator for Beyond the Wire, Georganne Hale, nominator
Runner-up: Dr. Kyle Roper, Regional Medical Director, CHI St. Vincent

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Chris Griffin Named New Track Announcer at Monmouth Park

Parx track announcer Chris Griffin has been named the new track announcer at Monmouth Park starting with the 2023 meet that gets underway in May.

Griffin, the back-up announcer at Monmouth Park since 2020, will replace Frank Mirahmadi, who is taking over as the track announcer at Saratoga next summer after eight years at Monmouth Park. Mirahmadi is also the track announcer at Santa Anita.

The 41-year-old Griffin was also recently named the track announcer for the Aqueduct winter meet that runs from January through April.

“We're pleased to have Chris Griffin join us as our full-time announcer. There has been a tremendous legacy in the Monmouth Park announcer's booth for the past 50 years, from Bob Weems to Larry Collmus to Travis Stone to Frank Mirahmadi, and we feel Chris will carry on that tradition,” said Dennis Drazin, Chairman and CEO of Darby Development LLC, operators of Monmouth Park.

Griffin has been the track announcer at Parx since April of 2021, filling in at Monmouth Park in Mirahmadi's absence for the past three years as well. He also serves as the track announcer for the Monmouth-at-Meadowlands meet and will continue in that role going forward.

“It's an honor. I'm humbled,” said Griffin. “It's nice when you feel like you have worked really hard to achieve your goals of what you want to do career-wise and where you want to be.

“I have gotten to know some of the people at Monmouth Park over the past three years. To be able to fill in over that time, and to do so for Frank Mirahmadi, someone I respect immensely in this industry and as an announcer, has meant a lot to me. It's a great opportunity to be able to now get to do this full-time at Monmouth Park.”

Griffin, who hails from Santa Monica, Calif., got his announcing start with the National Hot Rod Association and Harlem Globetrotters, moving on to call races at the Humboldt County Fair in Ferndale, Calif. He has been the announcer for a variety of California fair meets as well as Portland Meadows, Los Alamitos and Gulfstream Park West.

Griffin was named the track announcer at Sam Houston in 2018. He also filled in at the Belmont Park fall meet in 2021.

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